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Putin hosts African leaders in Russia after grain deal exit
The Russian president will host leaders of African countries for a summit in his native Saint Petersburg.
MOSCOW - The Russian president will host leaders of African countries for a summit in his native Saint Petersburg as the continent braces for the consequences of Moscow's withdrawal from the Ukraine grain export deal.
Isolated on the international scene since launching a full-scale military intervention in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin still has support in several African countries.
"It is important that in recent years our cooperation with Africa has reached a new level. We intend to further develop it," Putin said in a welcome letter to participants of the summit.
Seventeen African leaders are expected at the Russia-Africa summit set to take place on Thursday and Friday.
The Kremlin has accused Western countries of trying to prevent African states from participating in the summit.
The summit is the second of its kind after an inaugural one held in 2019 in Sochi, southern Russia.
Putin is expected to conduct bilateral talks with his counterparts on the sidelines and will deliver an address at the plenary session.
In the speech, he will discuss his vision of Russia-Africa ties and the "formation of a new world order", according to Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov.
The end of a deal that has allowed Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea to global markets, including Africa, is expected to dominate the agenda.
Over a year, the deal allowed around 33 million tonnes of grain to leave Ukrainian ports, helping to stabilise global food prices and avert shortages.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken pressed African leaders attending the summit to demand answers about the grain disruptions that have propelled poorer nations towards crisis.
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"They know exactly who's to blame for this current situation," Blinken said of the leaders.
"My expectation would be that Russia will hear this clearly from our African partners," he said Thursday during a visit to New Zealand.
Moscow has sought to reassure African partners, saying it understands their "concern" on the issue and is ready to export grain for free to African countries that need it.
Putin will also discuss Ukraine during a working lunch with a group of African heads of state on Friday, the Kremlin has said.